In a continued effort to make healthy meals for the fam, I borrowed The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious from the library. If you didn’t already know, the ‘trick’ behind these two books is to puree healthy fruits and veggies and add them into regular-looking meals so no one notices that they are eating ‘healthy’. Now the only part of this that I think is a little silly is that often only one tablespoon of puree is in one serving but whatever…it’s something I guess! Of course I had to veganize the recipes to make them truly veg-friendly.
I read an article in today’s Telegraph, a British newspaper. The title of the article is Vegan diet increases the risk of birth defects, scientists warn. The subtitle of the article is: “Women who are strict vegetarians or vegans may be a greater risk of having a child with birth defects because they are likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, researchers warned. ”
Study carried out in Ireland has discovered that ladies with low amounts of B12, found in meat, eggs and milk, when they conceive are at higher danger of getting a kid with neural tube flaws.
These problems include spina bifida, which causes partial paralysis, and anencephaly exactly where the brain does not create and is usually fatal shortly following birth.
Women who might turn out to be pregnant or who are pregnant are recommended to take folic acid supplements because it is known that the vitamin folate protects against these defects and it may be advised that taking vitamin B12 might reduce the danger further.
A team from the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Study Board of Ireland found women with low levels of B12 had been 2.5 to 3 occasions more most likely to have a kid with a neural tube defect although individuals classed as deficient in B12 had been five times much more likely to have a kid having a defect.
The study is published in the journal Paediatrics.
Dr Duane Alexander, director of the Nationwide Institute of Kid Health and Human Improvement, in Maryland, America, who took component in the research said: “Vitamin B12 is essential for the functioning of the nervous program and for the production of red blood cells.
“The results of this study suggest that women with low amounts of B12 not just may risk health difficulties of their personal, but additionally might improve the chance that their children may be born with a serious birth defect.”
Blood taken from one group of 160 women who had been knocked up having a child that had a neural tube defect at the time the sample was taken was compared to ladies who had previously experienced a child having a neural tube defect but whose present pregnancy was unaffected.
The researchers adjusted for folate levels so that you can evaluate the impact of B12 amounts independently of folic acid.
It’s not known how deficiency in B12 and folate increases the risk of neural tube defects but the vitamins are involved in a number of biochemical reactions in the body.
Dr James Mills, senior investigator in the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, in America and co-author said that essential events in the formation of the brain and spinal column happen very early in pregnancy–in the very first 28 days following conception–before numerous ladies even realise they are pregnant.
“If ladies wait till they realise that they are pregnant before they start taking folic acid, it’s generally too late,” he stated.
In America all women of childbearing age are suggested to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day to make sure they have enough amounts if they fall pregnant unintentionally.
Dr Mills said it would be wise for ladies to complete the exact same with B12.
“Our outcomes offer evidence that women who’ve sufficient B12 amounts before they become knocked up may further reduce the occurrence of the class of birth defects,” Dr. Mills stated.
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How can one get sufficient B12/ folic acid?
There are actually solution to this issue – Avocado!
“The avocado can be called the fruit of life because it is sodium and cholesterol-free and contains life’s essential vitamins and minerals including folate, potassium, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat,” said Dr. Aliza. “And, since it’s never been so important as now to eat right and to make every ingredient count, avocados are an excellent addition to a mother’s nutrition.”
Ounce per ounce, avocados contain more folate than other fruits. Folate (the natural form of folic acid) is necessary for healthy fetal cell and tissue development. Pregnant women should have 600-800 micrograms a day to protect against neural tube birth defects like spina bifida. Avocados are also the highest fruit source of potassium, which helps balance the body’s electrolytes, particularly important during pregnancy when blood volume expands up to 50 percent. In addition, potassium aids muscle activity, nerve function and energy metabolism, which helps babies and children grow.
Avocados can even aid in one of the most common ailments of expecting mothers — morning sickness. A valuable source of vitamin B6, avocados have been shown to relieve nausea associated with pregnancy. Besides easing queasiness, vitamin B6 also strengthens the immune system, assists with energy metabolism, aids nerve impulse. transmission and synthesizes red blood cells, which is important at all ages.
In addition to the many nutritional benefits, avocados serve as valuable time-savers for pregnant and nursing mothers, who neither have the time nor the energy to prepare nutritious meals. With no cooking time involved, an avocado is a quick nourishing snack eaten right out of the shell or as a luscious topping when served over a salad, soup or entrée. Dr. Aliza Lifshitz “Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids”
Resource Wholesomebabyfood.com
Vege Island